BAKERY HEATS UP FOR HOLIDAYS.

Byline: BOB QUICK

Fred Libby is "doing a little more work with almond paste" as he and his staff prepare this year's holiday cookie tins from Plaza Bakery, which are shipped around the country, and, for that matter, worldwide.

"We're using some ideas I got from Rome and Florence," said Libby, who owns the business. "It seems that they love almond paste either in macaroons or other cookie dough and always add a little jam to it."

But that's not just any jam.

"We acquired some Swiss jam that's used in the baking trade," Libby said. "We're going to include it in some of our new almond and marzipan cookies."

Other cookies from Plaza Bakery include pinon macaroons, bizcochitos, almond-meal Christmas cookies and what Libby calls his "obsession brownies."

"On the healthy side, we do walnut bars in triangular pieces," he said.

Also for the holidays, Plaza Bakery has three cakes, including an Austrian dobosh, "a dense vanilla cake that's always done in seven layers, " Libby said. "It's got several layers of chocolate butter cream with a chocolate glaze over the entire torte."

There's also an Italian raspberry marzipan cake, and, to top everything off, there's the Sacher torte, a world-famous chocolate cake created at the Sacher Hotel in Vienna.

"We may start doing those year round," Libby said.

In other developments, Plaza Bakery is now Santa Fe's "bagel king" after Bagelmania stopped making bagels, Libby said.

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There's an emphasis on shopping locally this holiday season thanks to an effort by the city of Santa Fe along with the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce, the Santa Fe Alliance and other groups called "Home for the Holidays."

"Shopping locally rather than online or in Albuquerque helps keep Santa Fe businesses open and creates jobs for the local workforce," said Kate Noble, Santa Fe economic- development specialist, in a statement. "Local jobs mean more dollars are spent locally and that continues to support a diverse and vibrant community. It's a positive cycle."

Among the points that Noble makes about shopping locally are:

u Santa Fe businesses generate more than $93 million in taxes each year.

u Local dollars support such city services as public safety, schools, street repairs and parks.

u For very dollar spent locally, between 13 and 45 cents stays within the local economy.

u Money spent online or out of town leaves the community completely.

To emphasize the city's support of local business, Mayor David Coss has proclaimed December "Buy Local Month."

The Santa Fe Alliance 2009 guide to local business is out in time for the holidays and is available at the Alliance's office at 320 Aztec St. Or consult the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce's Business Directory, available at www.santafechamber.com.

Bob Quick covers the business beat for The New Mexican. Call 986-3011 or e-mail [e-mail].